Best Breaker Bars

Review & Comparison, Last Update March 18, 2019

A breaker bar, also known as a drive breaker bar, is a tool that will allow you to break loose rusted, frozen, and stuck bolts, nuts, and lugs with ease. Plus, it will save your socket wrench and fasteners from unnecessary damage....Read more...Read less

With its chrome-vanadium body and chrome-moly head, the model is able to withstand professional everyday abuse. Its 998 ft-lb capacity also makes the model by far the strongest bar in this review. The tool meets and exceeds the DIN 3122 standard.

CONS

The tool is a little heavy.

OUR VERDICT

Capri Tools 40121 is easily one of the best breaker bars out there. It is the only product in this review that will allow you to work with 1-inch bolts. Add to that its strength and you have a great tool for professional mechanics.

The polished nickel chrome-plated finish makes the model virtually immune to rust and corrosion. Its non-ratcheting 180-degree flexible head works perfectly fine at any angle. It generates optimized leverage and lets you reach around the otherwise inaccessible tight spaces.

CONS

The head is too big and bulky to fit in certain tighter spaces.

OUR VERDICT

Performance Tool W38121 effortlessly breaks and loosens rusted, stubborn, or stuck bolts and nuts. It looks good and it doesn't lose its sleek appearance even in the most humid environment and that's not something we can say about most of these tools.

The breaker bar's handle incorporates a strong round profile with a smoothly contoured grip. Even under stress, this thing is easy on the hands. By retaining sockets, the spring-loaded ball bearing mechanism prevents them from sticking on the workpiece or being dropped, making the tool particularly practical.

CONS

The Chrome-moly flex head isn't scratch-resistant.

OUR VERDICT

Tekton 15356 will allow you to save your socket wrench and handle the most stubborn fasteners, so you can't really go wrong with this one. It will give you the extra muscle necessary to bust those fasteners without breaking a sweat.

On top of its robust chrome-moly steel construction, the head is forged and heat-treated, making it practically immune to deformation and even tougher than most of its counterparts. The handle has a sleek silver finish that effortlessly wipes clean with a microfiber cloth.

CONS

The flexible head loosens up after some time, so you'll have to occasionally tighten it.

OUR VERDICT

Neiko 00206A is all about preserving your energy and doing the bulk of the work for you. Thanks to its long 24-inch shaft, you get enough torque power to break any fastener loose. Despite the massive torque power, the tool breaks lug nuts and other fasteners without damaging them.

With this breaker bar, you'll be able to easily remove the lugs off your jeep. Being 24-inch long, it puts a lot less stress on your back. The instrument will let you handle the tightest bolts and effortlessly remove the wheel axle center lug.

CONS

Some find the handle a little slippery.

OUR VERDICT

EPAuto ST-018-1 may be the most modestly priced new breaker bar on the market right now. But it isn't in any major way, shape, or form inferior to the more expensive models. Built like a tank, this thing gets the job done and will last you a lifetime.

Capri Tools 40121

A Little Extra Strength

Capri Tools 40121 is a little heavy. But the weight is understandable considering how rugged and sturdy the tool is. With its chrome-vanadium body and chrome-moly head, the model is able to withstand professional everyday abuse.

Even the best breaker bar that the market has to offer doesn't differ that much from its mediocre counterparts. More often than not, it's the small things that separate one model from another. But the 3/4-inch head of this instrument is anything but small. This is the only tool on our list that will allow you to work with those 1-inch bolts that truck tires use. Its 998 ft-lb capacity also makes the model by far the strongest bar in this review.

All in all, just like any other breaker bar, this instrument gives you that extra leverage you need to break loose frozen and stuck nuts and bolts. The spring-loaded ball bearing mechanism keeps the sockets firmly secure. The head effortlessly rotates 180 degrees, so it gives you a bunch of options for a variety of jobs. The tool meets and exceeds the DIN 3122 standard, so it should be able to last you a lifetime.

All things considered, Capri Tools 40121 is easily one of the best breaker bars out there. It is the only product in this review that will allow you to work with 1-inch bolts. Add to that its strength and you have a great tool for professional mechanics.

Additional Info

Performance Tool W38121

Looks Good Works Better

Performance Tool W38121 is a sleek bar with one hell of a punch. Its chrome-vanadium alloy steel construction provides the instrument with the necessary strength and durability to tackle some of the more demanding projects. The polished nickel chrome-plated finish makes the model virtually immune to rust and corrosion.

Its non-ratcheting 180-degree flexible head works perfectly fine at any angle. It generates optimized leverage and lets you reach around those otherwise inaccessible tight spaces. That said, compared to a decent chunk of its competition, the head is relatively big and bulky, so it won't always be able to fit in those tight spaces.

The tool is 18 inches long, a little shorter than other models in this review. But its length is still more than enough to provide additional torque for those tight fasteners. Plus, it takes less space in your toolbox.

All in all, this instrument effortlessly breaks and loosens rusted, stubborn, or stuck bolts and nuts. Not dissimilar to its counterparts, the model incorporates a spring-loaded ball bearing mechanism. It gives you that secure socket holding that you need to streamline your work with auto parts. On top of everything else, Performance Tool W38121 looks good and it doesn't lose its sleek appearance even in the most humid environment and that's not something we can say about most of these tools.

Tekton 15356

Extra Muscles

Your socket wrench is far less robust than you think. Trust us, you don't have to wreck it on stuck nuts or frozen bolts. Instead, you can just bust them loose with the extra muscle of the Tekton 15356. With it, you'll be able to break those nuts and bolts without breaking much of a sweat.

As per usual, the model comes equipped with a 180-degree flex head. It allows you to find the best angle to avoid obstructions. You can use it to work in tight spaces. And it is mostly the head that allows the tool to generate max leverage.

Of course, it isn't just the head. Dubbed "refined classic", the breaker bar's handle incorporates a strong round profile with a smoothly contoured grip. Even under stress, this thing is easy on the hands. The chrome-plated finish is tough enough to leave rust and corrosion practically no fighting chance. Under its protection, the tool will be able to maintain its appearance for years to come.

The only thing we don't like about this instrument is that the said chrome-moly flex head isn't really scratch-resistant, so you'll have to be a little careful with it.

Our criticism definitely doesn't extend to the spring-loaded ball bearing mechanism. Retaining sockets, the mechanism prevents them from sticking on the workpiece or being dropped, making the tool particularly practical.

In short, Tekton 15356 will allow you to save your socket wrench and handle the most stubborn fasteners, so you can't really go wrong with this one.

Neiko 00206A

Preserve Your Energy

Neiko 00206A is all about preserving your energy and doing the bulk of the work for you. Thanks to its long 24-inch shaft, you get enough torque power to break even the most stubborn fasteners loose. Despite the massive torque power, however, the tool breaks lug nuts and other fasteners without damaging them. For the most part, it is thanks to the model's secure ball detent feature. It lets the sockets stay on tight while loosening those lug nuts and tough bolts.

Its flexible 180-degree head, made of chrome-moly steel, is no joke. It will last through countless applications and you won't have to be particularly careful with it either. That said, it does loosen and gets a bit wobbly after some time, so you will have to occasionally tighten the head. Not a huge inconvenience but something that we felt like mentioning nonetheless. Plus, on top of its robust steel construction, the head is forged and heat-treated, making it virtually immune to deformation and even tougher than most of its counterparts.

The handle itself, with its polished and grooved body, has a sleek silver finish that effortlessly wipes clean with a microfiber cloth. Its grooved profile gives you a nice grip, comfortable and secure at the same time.

Again, with Neiko 00206A, you'll be able to save time and effort. There isn't a bolt or a nut it won't be able to handle. But, in spite of its strength, the model is surprisingly comfortable and gentle.

Additional Info

EPAuto ST-018-1

Built like a Tank

EPAuto ST-018-1 is the most modestly priced breaker bar in our review but it does not make it any less practical and useful than its more expensive peers. The only thing that separates this model from the rest of them is a non-contoured handle. A shaft like that makes the bar a little slippery, so you'll have to be somewhat careful with it.

Other than that, the tool is as much of a powerhouse as the rest of them. With it, you'll be able to easily remove the lugs off your jeep. Being 24-inch long, it puts a lot less stress on your back. The instrument will let you handle the tightest bolts and effortlessly remove the wheel axle center lug.

With a chrome-vanadium body and chrome-moly head, this thing is built like a tank. Chrome-plated and mirror polished, it looks sleek and fights off corrosion like its nobody's business. The aforementioned head is heat-treated and 18-degree rotatable. It gives you easy torque at any angle. The spring loaded ball bearing mechanism keeps the socket in place, preventing it from dropping or sticking on the workpiece.

Again, EPAuto ST-018-1 is easily the most modestly priced option here. But it isn't in any major way, shape, or form inferior to the more expensive models. Built like a tank, this thing gets the job done and will last you a lifetime.

EPAuto ST-018-1

What Is a Breaker Bar?

Generally speaking, you'll be able to handle most fasteners with a socket wrench. That said, whether you're a professional mechanic or just a homeowner who occasionally tackles different projects, it is only a matter of time before you encounter a particularly tight fastener, a stubborn lug nut that doesn't believe in cooperation. Sure, you might be able to unfasten one with a standard socket wrench. But it will take you time, effort, and might very well result in damage to the ratcheting mechanism of that socket wrench of yours.

With a breaker bar, however, things are a little different. The length of your average breaker tool gives you additional strength and allows for larger torque to be generated with the same amount of force. More often than not, a single half-turn with a bar like that will let you loosen the fastener enough to be easily turned with a socket wrench afterward.

You can always improvise and make your own breaker bar for tires but we would recommend sticking with a professionally designed tool instead. No matter how skilled you are with these things, professional models are always more reliable.